Shiv Haria-Shah

I grew up in a family of businesspeople. I have the privilege, through my work, of supporting businesspeople with the most important opportunities and risks that they and their businesses face.

I started my career as a self-employed barrister. Through a combination of luck and design, my career has provided me unique experience and perspective both as trial and appellate counsel, a litigator and partner in a boutique law firm and as an in-house compliance leader within a listed multinational company.

My work spans crisis management, regulatory enforcement actions, litigation, sensitive cross border internal investigations and the management of risk, including through the implementation and evolution of corporate compliance programmes. Crisis situations and commercially important issues are rarely one-dimensional. I have the honour of being recognised in the legal directories across civil, criminal and regulatory practice areas which allows me to see all of the potential angles from the very outset - when the need for good decision-making is critical.

“...a super smooth, reassuring lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. He’s creative and dynamic and will fight every case as if it’s his last…exceptional quality, time and time again.” - Legal 500, 2024

My clients have included, FTSE100, CAC40 and Fortune 500 companies, Tier 1 banks, Formula One teams, luxury brands, private equity firms, Fintechs, entrepreneurs, CEOs, celebrities, National Governing Bodies and nation-states.

My sectoral experience spans energy and natural resources, financial services, retail and consumer, transport and infrastructure, telecoms and sport. I have advised on matters relating to over twenty jurisdictions and have on-the-ground experience in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean.

“...truly exceptional…a market leader in terms of expertise…has the ability to understand the landscape and provide advice that considers all commercial aspects…” – Legal 500, 2024

I have acted as an expert witness on English law (including in particular the Bribery Act 2010) and act in an outsourced General Counsel capacity for HNW individuals and their businesses.

Clients seek me out not only for clear, strategic and actionable legal advice but also for the range of experience and connections that I can bring to bear for their commercial benefit and reputational protection. I am often called upon to ‘quarterback’ and manage multi-disciplinary teams - working with trusted experts, technologists, due diligence, security and intelligence professionals and PR and communications specialists to achieve efficient and creative solutions and impact for my clients.

“Working with Shiv Haria-Shah is a total pleasure – he listens, processes and advises in a very clear and precise manner. Challenges are made much easier by his flexibility and focus on a successful objective…He is a delight to have on your team.” - Legal 500, 2023.

I am part of the Inclusiveness, Diversity and Culture team at Fieldfisher and lead the firm’s network for underrepresented groups within the legal sector. I am pleased to say that the teams of which I am a part are described in the legal directories as:

“...truly client-focused… heavy hitters from a diverse range of backgrounds…” – Legal 500, 2024

I value the perspective that my real-world experience, outside of the legal sector, provides. By way of summary, I currently sit on the Board of Middlesex County Cricket Club as an observer. I was previously elected to the Bar Council and served as a magistrate in my local community. I act as mentor for the Social Mobility Foundation, have served as a governor of an OFSTED ‘outstanding’ rated school and am an ambassador to Young Enterprise. I am a member of the founders circle of the British Asian Trust, sit on the advisory board of one of Europe’s largest contemporary art fairs and serve as a trustee of Bat for a Chance. I am an investor in and advisor to a number of start-ups. Prior to my career at the Bar, I worked in Westminster for a former member of the Cabinet and was a founding Board Member of an organisation which seeks to improve ties between the UK and India. I have represented the University of Cambridge and the Bar of England & Wales at cricket.